Socket for lighthouse tubes



1952 w. H. CONRON ETAL 2,621,226

SOCKET FOR LIGHTHOUSE TUBES Filed April '21, 1948 INVENTOR WILLIAM H. BnNRnN FREDERICK H mun 3r EHNEIDER ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1952 -li' NlT-li-D EE'S OFFICE LH;lSi:hneiEIeI'QWVestville, N. J assignors'toiRadio Corporation of Americapaiconnmtationzoflnelaware Application April 21, 1948,:Serial No: 22,435

1 Claim.

This invention relates to improvements in supports for electron tubes and has for its principal object to provide a rapidly detachable, nonmicrophonic, socket assembly of low electrical impedance for electron tubes, and particularly tubes of the so-called lighthouse variety.

The invention is described in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view, Fig. 2 a sectional elevation and Fig. 3 an exploded view of a socket and tube assembly constructed in accordance with the principle of the invention.

The electron tube to which the inventionis here applied is a JAN and RCA type 2C-40- lighthouse tube. The tube comprises a metal body portion l of stepped construction having an insulating base 2 at one end and, at its opposite end, terminates in a prong 3 through which energizing current is applied to an internal anode (not shown). The base 2 of the tube is provided with a centering pin 4 and a number (in this case, six) of prongs 5 arranged in circumferentially spaced relation about the said pin 4. Two of the prongs 5 are filament leads; another is a D. C. grounding terminal for the cathode and the rest are dummies whose only useful purpose is to aid in retaining the base of the tube in a wafer-like socket 6. Three upstanding metal tongues which will be understood to be connected within the wafer to the live terminals of the socket provide convenient binding posts for the flexible wires 8 that supply current for the filament and a D. C. return for the cathode. The treads or steps la and lb on the body of the tube, near the base 2, are constituted of metal and serve as R. F. grounding connectors for the cathode. Another step or flange lc, which may extend radially outward from the body of the tube, comprises a grid connector. This third flange-like step I is insulated from the steps la and lb, and from the anode terminal 3, by glass or other insulating inserts 9 and I0, respectively.

The wafer-like socket 6 within which the prongs on the base of the tube are received is provided with a number (in this case, three) of radially extending arms H to which a similar number of arcuate-shape leaf springs l2 are respectively aflixed as by rivets l3. The other end of each spring I2 is similarly afiixed, as by a rivet M, to the flat upper surface of a cup-shape locking ring [5. This ring or annulus I5 is provided on its rim I51 with a bayonet slot l6 for engagement with a complementary bayonet pm I! on the rim I81 of a hollow metal pedestal l8 upon which the first step Ia of the tube is adapted to rest and within which a portion of the body of the tube is adapted to be received.

The pedestal l8 upon which the locking ring I5 is adapted to be removably aflixed preferably comprises a solid-metal cylinder, open at both ends, and secured at its lower end as by screws l9 to an insulating panel or plate 20 which is provided with an aperture 28a through which the free end of the tube I may project. Another insulating plate or panel 2| beneath the panel 20 serves as a convenient support for a metal jack 22 which receives the prong-like anode terminal 3 of the tube.

As shown more clearly in Fig. 3, the inner surface of the metal cylinder or pedestal l8 contains a multiplicity of inwardly extending circumferentially arranged spring-metal fingers 23 upon which the second or cathode flange lb of the tube l is adapted to bear, and the aperture 211a of the insulating panel 20 contains a similar set of spring-fingers 24 for the third or grid flange lc of the tube. It will be observed upon inspection of Fig. 2 that when the tube has been entered into and locked on the pedestal, the springs l 2 which connect the socket 6 to the locking ring l5 are under tension and therefore bias the cathode and grid flanges lb and le of the tube into intimate contact with the spring fingers 23 and 24, respectively. The counterbiasing forces applied to the tube by the socket springs l2 and by the spring fingers 23 and 24 not only provide a non-microphonio sup-port for the tube but also ensure a contact of low electrical impedance between the said fingers and the flanges lb and lo of the tube.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention comprises a rapidly detachable, non-microphonic, socket assembly of low electrical impedance and one especially suitable for electron tubes of the so-called lighthouse variety.

What is claimed is:

A non-microphonic support for an electron tube of the type comprising a body portion having at least one radially extending electrode ter-- minal thereon and a base portion from which a plurality of axially extending prong-like electrode terminals protrude, said support comprising a pedestal having a bore for receiving said tube body portion and having electrical connector means mounted thereon, said electrical connector means being disposed within said bore in a position to engage said radially extending electrode terminal, a socket member having means for engaging said prong-like electrode terminals, means for resiliently and removably connecting said socket to said pedestal, said last mentioned means including a locking member for engagement with said pedestal and spring means comprising a plurality of arcuate shape leaf springs which extend in a circumferential direction about the axis of said locking member, said spring means interconnecting said socket and said locking member thereby to apply a biasing force on said tube through said socket to hold said radially extending electrode terminal intimately in contact with said electrical connector means.

WILLIAM H. CONRON. FREDERICK H. SCHNEIDER.

REFERENCES CITED file of this patent:

Number Number 4 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Turner Sept. 24, 1946 Gurewitsch Oct. 8, 1946 Beggs Feb. 25, 1947 Forstrom Nov. 2, 1948 Fox et al Jan. 18, 1949 Drake Aug. 9, 1949 Deiss et al Dec. 6, 1949 Thomson Dec. 27, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date England Feb. 25. 1927 

